Comments on: Sorry we did those ugly things. We’ve stopped.

By: Matt Rose

Matt Rose — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 20:31:28 +0000

It's not just her family but her entire world, down to the core of her very being. This is a good quote from that Medium article

Think of how hard it would be to have a fortress of faith built around you, and to have to dismantle it yourself, brick by brick, examining each one and deciding whether there’s something worth keeping or whether it’s not as solid as you thought it was.

By: David Gans

David Gans — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 13:42:38 +0000

I agree with sumac that it’s a “weak” apology but I agree with Fawn that it’s a huge step in the right direction. A few more WBC members do the same and ol’ Fred might wind up seeing the light himself, however unwillingly.

By: Susan

Susan — Sat, 09 Feb 2013 17:45:24 +0000

I’m with Fawn. I’m heading out this morning on a fun thing with my dad – nothing major, but it’s my dad. If I were to learn tomorrow that he and my mother and the rest of my close family were actually perpetrators of a horrible evil I don’t know what I would do. Leave my dad? It is literally unthinkable – my brain stops short when I start to imagine what that would even be like.

I think penitence is more road than destination. I’m guessing their apologies will change over time, and would like to check back in 5 years.

By: Fawn

Fawn — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 22:15:28 +0000

I can’t help but think that walking away from everything you’ve ever known is a good start on an apology. I’m not sure I’d be able to do the same.

By: Frances

Frances — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 22:04:07 +0000

Slight correction: WBC is even more heinous than you describe. They don’t picket the funeral of “gay soldiers” they picket the funerals of *all* soldiers, claiming that God Hates America because of our liberal treatment of gays, and that is why God kills American soldiers. They also threatened to picket the funerals of the children killed in Sandy Hook. They are really just the most vile group of people on Earth.

So, it is an interesting question what kind of apology we should expect from people raised in an environment where they felt they had all the answers. Did anyone ever apologize in the WBC? Certainly it doesn’t seem that Fred Phelps himself would ever apologize to anyone. They may need time to learn. After all, plenty of people who were raised in ordinary society don’t seem to have a clue about how to really apologize. We shouldn’t expect these girls to necessarily know more given their upbringing.

By: sumac

sumac — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 21:48:15 +0000

In reply to snarly. Why should you get to be more articulate than me? Those signs are so great!

By: snarly

snarly — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 21:23:27 +0000

Dude, if I’d known you were quoting me FOR PUBLICATION I would have been way more articulate!

BTW, I have a list of my fave anti-Westboro protest signs on my personal blog. I don’t like the ones that are sexist, ageist or sizeist (I know, I’m a humorless wonder.) That still leaves a LOT of excellent material. http://marjorieingall.com/the-best-westboro-baptist-church-counter-protest-signs/